Mope
/moʊp/noun
To be listless, gloomy, or apathetic; also, to move or act in a dull, aimless way.
Did you know?English mope is probably related to the older verb mop, meaning to blink or stare dully, and both likely echo the same idea of drooping, half-conscious behavior rather than any magical origin.
Etymological Timeline
Late 16th Century
English
mope
“To be dull, foolish, or listless; to act in a dazed, melancholy way”
Middle English
English
moppen / moppen
“To make grimaces, to blink, or to act stupidly or foolishly”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*mup- / *mub-
“Likely an imitative base connected with muttering, pouting, or dull facial movement”
Old English
English
mōpian?
“No securely attested direct Old English ancestor; the English word appears later in the record”
Modern English
English
mope
“To feel or display sadness, dejection, or lethargy”